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ALL MUSIC ----- 2010

Jimmy Dean, best known for his 1961 crossover hit "Big Bad John" and the sausage brand to which he lent his name, died on Sunday evening at age 81. Along with the Grammy winning "Big Bad John," Dean had several other hits in the '60s and appeared on television with his own variety program The Jimmy Dean Show and as a regular on the NBC series Daniel Boone. Dean also started the Jimmy Dean Meat Company around that time, and later sold it to Sara Lee Foods. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Dean died at his home in Varina, Virginia. [Billboard.com]

The Broadway musical adaptation of Green Day's American Idiot won Tony awards on Sunday night for scenic design and lighting design. The production was also nominated for Best Musical -- along with the Jay-Z and Will Smith-produced Fela! -- but lost to Memphis. [MTV.com]

ALL MUSIC -----1992

1991 may have been the Year Punk Broke but 1992 was the year the '90s truly began. Nevermind Nirvana, there was an explosion of alt-rock classics, beginning with a clutch of grunge classics from Seattle -- the aftershocks of Nirvana's success being Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, a major label contract for Mudhoney -- but also Pavement's debut Slanted and Enchanted, which began indie-rock as we now know it, and R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People, which began adult alternative as we now know it. R.E.M. wasn't the only '80s college-rock veteran still experiencing a golden streak -- Morrissey teamed up with Mick Ronson for the crushing Your Arsenal, Bob Mould revitalized himself with Sugar, Sonic Youth got louder and tighter on Dirty, XTC closed out their golden age with Nonsuch -- but there were just as many records that pointed toward what the '90s would be.

Classical period music

Main article: Classical period (music)

See also: List of Classical era composers

The Classical period, from about 1750 to 1820, established many of the norms of composition, presentation and style, and was when the piano became the predominant keyboard instrument. The basic forces required for an orchestra became somewhat standardized (although they would grow as the potential of a wider array of instruments was developed in the following centuries). Chamber music grew to include ensembles with as many as 8-10 performers for serenades. Opera continued to develop, with regional styles in Italy, France, and German-speaking lands. The opera buffa, a form of comic opera, rose in popularity. The symphony came into its own as a musical form, and the concerto was developed as a vehicle for displays of virtuoso playing skill. Orchestras no longer required a harpsichord (which had been part of the traditional continuo in the Baroque style), and were often led by the lead violinist (now called the concertmaster).

Wind instruments became more refined in the Classical period. While double reeded instruments like the oboe and bassoon became somewhat standardized in the Baroque, the clarinet family of single reeds was not widely used until Mozart expanded its role in orchestral, chamber, and concerto settings.

WESTERN MUSIC-SINGERS, INSTRUMENTS

POP
-- SINGERS

WESTERN MUSIC

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Ten things you may not know about images on Wikipe
This article is about the music of Western civilization. For information on the music of the American and Canadian wests, see Western music (North America).
Western music is the genres of music originating in the Western world (Europe and its former colonies) including Western classical music, American Jazz, Country and Western, pop music and rock and roll. The word Western may be misleading as the definition of the western world has changed over time and because of the inclusion of Western influenced gen
Musical genres in the Western tradition include:
Classical music
Medieval music
Renaissance music
Baroque music
Classical music era
Romantic music
20th century classical music
Contemporary music
Pop and popular music
Acid (disambiguation)
Bluegrass
Blues
Country music
Disco
Folk
Hymns
Jazz
Metal
Neofolk
Punk rock
Rap
Rock and roll
Ska
Soul
Spirituals
Swing
Synthpop
Techno

ITC SANGEET RESEARCH ACADEMY

What is Hindustani classical music?The classical music of North India is called Hindustani Classical Music.
How is Indian classical music different from Western classical music? What are their similarities?Melody and rhythm are the common grounds for music, be it Western or Indian. Indian music is essentially monophonic (single melody format or homophonic) while Western music can be polyphonic (multiple notes played or sung in harmonised unison), monophonic or a combination of both.
Western classical music is based upon the equal tempered scale, and rests upon melody, harmony and counterpart while Swara and Tala are the two basic components of Indian classical music.
Swaras are the twelve notes and the intervening semitones , while a Tala is a cycle of beats, starting with a stress point called the Sam and ending with a release point called the Khali. It is this (sam & khali) that brings life to a Tala.
What is meant by 'Hindustani' and 'Carnatic' music?Indian classical music has two distinct styles-Hindustani classical music and Carnatic music. Hindustani music is prevalent all over India except in the Southern States, where Carnatic music is practiced.
What is the origin of these two styles of music and which is older? No definite answer can be given about the antiquity of either of these styles of music. The tradition of Indian music practiced and developed is nearly three thousand years old. Indigenous musical styles and schools evolved and developed in different regions of the country by blending purely ritualistic music and folk music. The basic elements remain the same. The semantic divide between the two styles started from the time of the 'Sangeetaratnakara' of Sharangadeva (1210-1247 AD). This was later enhanced by the Muslim influence and this musical bifurcation was described for the first time as Hindustani and Carnatic music by Haripaladeva in his text the 'Sangeetsudhakara' (1309-1312 AD).
What are the similarities and differences between 'Hindustani' and 'Carnatic' music?Both the styles are monophonic, follow a melodic line and employ a drone (tanpura) with the help of one or two notes against the melody. Both the styles use definite scales to define a raga but the Carnatic Style employs Shrutis or semitones to create a Raga and thus have many more Ragas than the Hindustani style. Carnatic ragas differ from Hindustani ragas. The names of ragas are also different. However, there are some ragas which have the same scale as Hindustani ragas but have different names; such as Hindolam and Malkauns, Shankarabharanam and Bilawal. There is a third category of ragas like Hamsadhwani, Charukeshi, Kalavati etc. which are essentially Carnatic Ragas. They share the same name, the same scale (same set of notes) but can be rendered in the two distinctively different Carnatic and Hindustani styles. Unlike Hindustani music, Carnatic music does not adhere to Time or Samay concepts and instead of Thaats, Carnatic music follows the Melakarta concept.
What is a raga? Each Raga has its own scale consisting of minimum five and maximum seven notes (swaras). A raga has specific ascending (Aaroh) and descending (Avaroh) movements, specific dominating notes (vadi) and specific notes complementing the Vadi (Samvadi) notes. The characteristic phrases of a raga (Pakad) establish its identity and mood.
How many ragas are there?Originally, there were six Ragas and thirty-six Raginis (melodies with softer emotions). Hundreds of Ragas were created with the help of these Ragas and Raginis, many of which have become obsolete. In recent times, musicians have composed many more ragas. There are today, approximately, 120-150 ragas in use.
Are these ragas used in classical music only?Ragas are used in semi-classical and light music as well.
What is a Thaat?9. Thaat is a system by which different sets of complete scale of seven notes, in ascending order, are formulated to categorize the maximum number of ragas under it. Thaat or Mela is known as the Parental scale. There are ten Thaats under which most of the Hindustani ragas can be catagorised. These Thaats have the names of ragas and they are Bilawal, Khamaj, Poorvi, Kafi, Bhairavi, Kalyan, Bhairav, Marwa, Asavari and Todi.
How significant is 'Thaat' in classical music? Is it relevant in other types of music too?For a performer, Thaats have little significance but for a student of music, the system comes as a great help to understand the classification of ragas. Thaat does not have relevance in other types of music.
What is a 'Tanpura'? How does it help the singers?Tanpura or Tambura is a drone instrument, usually consisting of four or six strings tuned to Pa or Ma or Ni, Sa, Sa, Sa (Sol or Fa or Ti, Doh, Doh, Doh). The two strings in the centre are Sa of middle octave. The Pa or Ma or Ni and the last Sa are of the lower octave. The droning of the Tanpura helps singers to get set on the scale and it resonates to create a musical atmosphere.
What are the other instruments for vocal support? What is their origin? Why has the Harmonium become so popular in comparison with other instruments?Sarangi, Violin and Harmonium. The Sarangi originated from a folk instrument of Rajasthan, while the origin of the Violin and the Harmonium is from the West. The Harmonium is easy to master and therefore became very popular, though it is not worthy of pure Indian classical music. Its equal tempered notes, like the piano, cannot capture the embellishments (Shruti, Meend, Gamak etc.). It came into vogue not very long ago.
What are the prominent percussion instruments used for accompaniment?Tabla is the most prominent percussion instrument, apart from the 'Pakhawaj'_ an old, traditional instrument played to accompany Dhrupad singers. All other forms of Hindustani classical music use tabla, which came into being with the evolution of Hindustani classical music. The Tabla is believed to have been devised by Hazrat Amir Khusro.
Do vocalists and accompanists rehearse together for a long period of time like their counterparts in the West?No. Accompanists of the performers of Indian classical music do not necessarily rehearse together. Indian music is essentially, solo music. The training of a tabla player is not complete till he masters the art of accompaniment or stagecraft. He practices with many musicians to develop his skills as an accompanist just as the main performer does with different tabla players. In some cases, a musician may continue to practice with an accompanist of his choice for a long time.
For a vocal or instrumental performance, other accompanying artistes are seen with the main performer. How is it then a solo music?As the vocalist performs and music flows, the accompanists on the tabla and harmonium provide support by keeping the beats and following the mood of the performer. It is therefore, essentially, solo music.
What is a Khayal? How many such forms are there?Khayal is a form of rendering a raga. The essential component of a khayal is a composition (Bandish) and the expansion of the text of the composition within the framework of the raga. The nuances and sub forms employed to improvise and embellish the rendition vary from singer to singer. There are two forms of Khayal. Bada-Khayal in slow tempo and Chhota-Khayal in medium to fast tempo.
What is a Dhrupad? What are the differences between Dhrupad and Khayal?Dhruvapada or Dhrupad is another form of rendering a raga. It has a specific composition, consisting of four parts and is sung in different styles. The percussion accompaniment is the Mridang or Pakhawaj, a one-piece drum, as opposed to the two-piece drum, the tabla in khayal. The main difference between these two musical forms is that the Dhrupad is rigidly bound by the composition and the tala, within which all improvisation has to be made. The Khayal, on the other hand, has the freedom to free itself from the rhythmic beat and then return to the beginning of each time cycle (tala). Also, the two essential idioms used in Khayal, which are absent in Dhrupad, are the Sargam and Taan. Sargam is the singing of the notes (sa, re, ga,..), per se, instead of words while Taan is the sequential movement through the different notes using the vowel "Aa".
What is a Thumri?The Thumri is yet another form of rendering ragas. However , this very popular, light classical form of Hindustani music, is limited to specific ragas whose key emotion is lyricism and eroticism, e.g. Bhairavi, Gara, Pilu. Effective word-play usually characterizes a Thumri. Chiefly associated with folk songs of UP and Punjab, the Thumri is composed in dialects of Hindi.
Sometimes the words of a Khayal or Thumri are difficult to follow. Why is it so?Sometimes the words are not intelligible because they are sung in a stylized manner and do not always follow the necessary scansion and get elongated with the notes.
Very often some artistes utter a small portion of the text three times and arrive at a stressed beat. What is it called and what is its significance?Very often musicians repeat a particular phrase thrice and arrive on the first beat of the rhythm known as 'Sam'. This division of any Tala, or rhythm cycle, into three equal parts to create variation and musical thrill is known as 'Tihaayi'. Artistically phrased tihaayi enhances the beauty of a performance.

HINDUSTANA MUSIC

Indian classical music is categorized under two genres. These are Hindustani and Carnatic. Broadly speaking, Carnatic music developed in the south of the country, while Hindustani is indigenous to the north.
Hindustani music is based on the raga system. A raga is a melodic scale, consisting of notes from the basic seven known as sa, re, ga, ma pa, dha, and ni. Apart from sa and pa which are constant, the other notes may be in major or minor tone, and this gives rise to innumerable combinations. Ten basic scales or thaats are recognized, and other ragas are considered to have evolved from these. A raga must contain a minimum of five notes.
Depending on the notes included in it, each raga acquires a distinct character. The form of the raga is also determined by the particular pattern of ascent and descent of the notes, which may not be strictly linear. Melody is built up by improvising and elaborating within the given scale. The improvisation is at times rhythm bound and at other times free from any overt rhythm.
Formal compositions (songs or instrumental compositions in a fixed meter) are juxtaposed with the improvised portion. Khyal and Dhrupad are two major types of compositions within the Hindustani genre. Of the two, Dhrupad is an older form and requires rigourous training in rhythm control as well as voice culture. Khyal developed as a more popular alternative as it contains both slow and lively compositions, though it retains its totally classical character.

MUSIC PHOTO

MUSIC PICS

MUSIC OF THE MASSES

She is very beautiful singer.

She lives in karnataka.

PURANDARA DASU

His songs are very beutiful.

He belives vithal. Because he said " Purandara Vithal " in his songs.

INDIAN MUSIC

Indian Music and in particular Karnatic music is universally cherished as a consummate art form. Karnatic music has a rich and glorious heritage and stands out nourished and healthy and vibrant. It’s not an archival subject to be looked up to in the archives of a library etc. Its contemporary value and relevance can be assessed – among other factors – like its study being in the curriculum of universities like the Cleveland State University. The annual Karnatic Music Festival held during the Easter Holiday time at this university is also termed as the ‘India Experience at CSU’.
One wonders what exactly constitutes the mystery of the magic in the Indian Karnatic music – its exquisite blend of a scientific system, intangible esthetic music of Bhava, Laya, Mysticism, religious fervor, and lyrics.
Well, among myriads of many unfathomable-contributing factors, the rich musical compositions of great Composers like Saint Thyagaraja, Muthuswmy Dikshidar, Shyama Shastry, Maharaja Swati Tirunal and many others have an amazing impact.
In this essay a humble effort is made to look at with marvel at the amazing splendor of the compositions of Maharaja Swati Tirunal and the Man. Swati Tirunal hails from the Royal Heritage. He is known to the world as the King of a state, Travancore in Kerala. His life can be equated to the life of a “lily” in the words of William Wordsworth. He led a worthy life of not only an able king but also a benevolent king, a patron of art and literature.
Swati Tirunal lived only for a short span of 34 years, i.e., from 1813 to 1847, but he proved the purpose of his incarnation of life through the meritorious contributions towards the state, especially, towards the Indian Music in multi languages. He was a distinguished linguist.
Blessed was his soul, it is rarity to find such wealth, richness clubbed with virtues. Along with his rich and royal heritages; he had imbibed the traditional ritualism and a spiritualism of high order.
In history, Indian Classical Music of the 18th century displayed a Golden Age. The Tamil Nadu gave the great Trinity- saint Tyagaraja, Sri. Muthuswamy Deekshitar and Sri Syama Sastry all at the same time were born and lived at Tiruvarur in Tanjore District.
The state of Travancore did not lag behind. At that time was the birth of Swati Tirunal and a great Hindu philosopher; Adi Sankara Bhagavat Pada was born at the village of Kaladi in Kerala. Adi Sankara rose to the peak in Hindu Advaita philosophy, a religious leader Maharaja Swati Tirunal raised to eminence not only as a King, but also as a versatile composer, musician and a patron of art and literature. As a benevolent ruler he is described as Dakshina Bhoka.
The mystic environment proves our illustrious personality’s emergence. The British regime tried to impose their dictatorial attitude of annexing the intestate property of the heirless royalties in which the kingdom of Jhansi and Satara were annexed. At this juncture the state of Travancore witnessed precarious state, the ruling king had expired, but the Queen had conceived but the child was yet to be born. Even before his birth he was declared a legal heir for the throne. This indicates the greatness of the soul, which had its halo effect even before it was born. The child got educated and developed mastery in various languages, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, English, Hindi, Persian and Arabic.
Swati Tirunal had his rigorous music education from veteran musicians like Karamana Padmanabha Bhagavathar, Suchindram Harihara Bhagavathar and the family Guru Meru swamy from whom he adopted the Marathi style of singing Abhang, and Dandi. From him he developed the Marathi language skill also.
He developed mastery not only in vocal music but also in playing string instruments - veena, percussion instruments, which made him an adept in playing Rhythm pattern and this was due to Vidwan Harihara Iyer. The association with Tanjore Quartet, the eldest brother Vadivelu made him learn the technique of violin.
He as a king patronized Hindustani vocalists and instrumentalists. His court patronized illustrious artists of all fields. Haridas from Bengal, Sachidanand from Pune, Vasudeva Sastri from Pune, Pandit Narsa from whom he learnt Hindustani Classical singing and developed his knowledge of singing Kheyal, Dhrupad, Tarana, Tappa, Tumri, Bhajans. He also patronized Ustad Allaudin Khan and Ramanujam.
He nurtured classical dancers at his court. Vadivelu and Sivanandam from Tanjore, Ayodhya Sukhdev were employed for Kathak dance. He brought about universality through Fine Arts; blend of all traditional arts. Pitchu Bhagavathar was also patronized for Nattuvangam.
Thus he could bring out beautiful structural edifices in his compositions that suited for semi - classical Hindustani Musical forms, like Kheyal, Thumri, Tappa, Bhajan etc. These musical forms are commonly used in concerts as well as traditional arts, like Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam and Kathak.
The true devotion to the deity enshrined in Thiruvananthapuram, Shri Padmanabha swamy, the adoration to Classical Music, traditional art; his passionate desire to bring his emotional outpourings, Swathi had tried to bring about the universal integration by bringing music as a medium through his varied linguistic compositions.
We find his versatility in his style rich lyrics, varied compositions and a wide range of musical forms due to which he stands unique not only in the state of Kerala but also in the field of composers of Indian Music.
Having been born in a royal family with illustrious background, Swati Tirunal had every opportunity to acquire his musical knowledge along with training in other branches, right from the childhood. At a fairly early age, he learnt many Indian & foreign languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Persian, Arabic, English & Marathi.He produced three literary pieces viz. Bhakti Manjari, Syanandurapura varnana prabhandam, and Padmanabha satakam. In the short span of his illustrious 34 years he had composed more than 200 compositions which included all the varieties like – Swarajati, Varnam- Padavarman and Tana Varnam, Kritis. Padam – Javali and Tillana. His Group Compositions – the Navaratri Kritis – nine compositions in nine ragas which are religiously sung even now in Kerala during the Navaratri festival and the navabhakti Kirtanas based on the nine kinds of Bhakti – Devotion , like Shravanam, Kirtanam, Vandanam, Arcganam, Dasyam, Sakyam, Padasevanam and Athmanivedanam are some of his spectacular worthy contributions. His contributions towards Dance Janre like Jati-Swaram, Padavarnam, Padam, Javali, and Thillana in Malayalam and Manipravalam languages are again popular features in his repertoire.In the next issue the special features of his musical compositions, his contribution to the enrichment of Karnatic music, his literary achievements etc are brought out with stress on his works as versatile composer, lyricist, linguist and musicologist. It’s an interesting study to see him as Swati as a patron of musiciansSwati as a composerSignificant contribution of swati to MusicSwati Tirunal’s contribution in Hindustani Ragas and CompositionsSwati’s contribution to dance musical formsGeneral appraisal of swati’s worksWe could examine in detail about his various types of musical compositions, in different languages, and their distinctive features. Swati Tirunal gave up his checkered life in 1847. It is astonishing to see his achievements within the short span of 34 years. Considering his contributions to enrich the Karnatic music in different languages, styles and structures, we can safely place him on equal status with the musical Trinity of Karnataka Music. Tiger Varadachariar said that of Swati Tirunal “The Royal Composer combines in his style the elegance of Thyagaraja with the grandear of Muthuswamy Dikshither”. J.A. Brown has recorded “the Maharaja has acquired fame all over India because of his interest in education, his cultured mind and his ability to compose songs and also because of proficiency in several languages”. As Bhartrihari says ‘poets who are the fountains of rasa have neither obsolescence nor death” Truly, Swati Tirunal’s, name will live as long as music lives.

INDIAN MUSIC